Oil burner



1311- BRACE Jan. '16,41940 OIL BURNER med June e, 193s J 2 sheets-sneer 1 FIGA.`

` INVENTOR E. T V45111709 AUORNEY E. T. BRAC oIL BURNER Jan. 16,

Filed June 1933 2 `Sheets-Sheet 2` ATTORNEY taining uniform heat within the barns. ecause A Patented Jan. 16,

UNITED STATES y P.iTENT oFFIcE o .,g\,1s7,2 2o l olnuiimn `Edwin` T. Brace. WarrentomoMo., assignor to Binkley Manufacturing Com-pany, Warrenton, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June e, 193s, serial No. 211,977

" 5 claims. (ci. 15s-9o) This invention relates `generally to'oilburners and more speciiicaally` to an improved oil burner adapted for installation ina Dutch oven of the type ordinarily assoclated'with tobacco curing barns, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a simple and emciently operating oil burner which is capable of being. installed in a Dutch oven of. a `tobacco curing barn without the necessity of altering the construction of th Dutch oven, and whose installation in and re\ moval from the Dutch oven may be accomplished in a simple and expeditious manner. In preparing tobacco for theqxnarketv the ripe off of the tobacco plant when and the ripe leaves are strung on stickswhich are transported toa curing barn wherein the sticks withV the leaves hanging therefrom are aro ranged so that they are supported by,tier poles within the curing barn. When a tobacco cur# ing barn is ready for a curingoperation to'begln it is filled with hanging `tobacco leaves, only enoughopen space being left atj'the lower level to permit an attendant to rush into the barn and read the thermometer before incoming coolair Tobacco "barns of the can change its reading. type to which the present invention relates are provided with the ues which comprise heat conlduits that are arranged in a more or less tortuous manner in the lower -portions of the barns, and heat produced in `Dutch ovens associated with, but outside of the barns, is conducted through the conduits to cause the air within the barns to be heated and risethrough the tobacco hanging above the conduits. o

The fuel used in the Dutch ovens of tobacco curing barns of the ue type has for many decades been wood, and the realization in recent years of the limitationsof this system has caused a wide spread desire in the tobacco industry for` a system which would be more efficient. One limitation in connection with the use 'of wood resxin curing tobacco is the difficulty ot mainof this short-coming of the wood iiue tobacco curing system, much tobacco whichY should cure out as good grade tobacco is either lost altogether or has to beput with the cheaper grades.

Another limitation of the wood flue system is that the wood lires requirevconsta t attention,

, day and night', from the time the iire are kindled tobacco raising country.

'I'he importance of this' arrangement arises l0 from the fact that `because the Dutch oven is Anot `altered for the reception of the oil burner,

and because the oil burner maybe removed from the Dutch` ovenA in a few minutes time, a break down of the oil burner would not result in "the 16 loss of the tobacco in the barn, as the burner may be quickly removedand a wood fire kindled in the Dutch oven to maintain the proper heat within the barn. Also because the oil burners are located in the Dutch ovens outside of the curing 20 barns-just as the wood res were. no fumes or products of combustion get into the barns to taint the tobacco as was the case when attempts were made to employ kerosene burners within the barns for supplying the heat required for tobacco curing. Additionally the use o f an eiliciently operating oil burner, such as the one dis` closed herein, for providing the heat for tobacco curing operations entirely eliminates the limitations of the wood :lire method mentioned above. In otherwords a uniform heat may be maintained within the tobacco curing barn at all times, close attention to the heat producingmedlum at all times is not required, and the problem incident to obtaining wood fuel is solved by the use of oil asthe heat-producing fuel.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a tobacco curing bain and illustrating the improved oil burner associated with a Dutch oven thereof.

` Fig. 2"iis a horizontal section taken through 4a 40 tobacco curing barn showing the general arrangement of the Viiues and illustrating oil burners of` the improved construction disclosed herein associated with the Dutchovens of the b a-rn.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view looking toward the 5 front of the improved oil burner. Y Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken through a Dutch oven and showing the improved oil burner associated therewith.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken 50 on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment. of

theinvention A designates in Figs. l and 2 a tovention relates. The tobacco curing barn A is provided with a pair of Dutch ovens B located outside of the barn, and disposed in communication vvith each of said Dutch ovens is a heat chamber C to which is connected a heat-conducting ueD through which air heated in the associated Dutch oven passes. Each flue D is arranged in a more orlless tortuous form in the lower level of the barn, being extended rearwardly of the barn from the associated heat chamber, then transversely of the rear wall of the barn, then forwardly of the barn Vto a point adjacent to the front wall thereof, and then transversely of said front wall of the barn. `From the front transverse portion of each flue a portion of said flue passes through the front wall of the barn and then extends upwardly as indicated at D to a point above the roof of the barn Ywhere the heated air passing through the flue is discharged to atmosphere. The Dutch ovens B are built of suitable material, such as brick and each thereof is provided with an opening` at its front. n

The improved oil burner E disclosed herein is generally of L-shaped formation as shown to the best advantage in Fig. 4; that is to saysaid oil burner includes a horizontal portion I which is disposed within the associated Dutch ovenB, and a vertical portion 2 which is arranged infront of and closes the front opening of the Dutch oven. The oil burner E. includes a base plate 3 to the front portion of which a narrow, transversely extended plate 4 is fixed.,y At its rear end the base plate 3 is provided with ,an upwardly extended flange 3' as shown in Fig. 4.

The horizontal portion v a rectangular structure made up of opposed side walls 5fand a top wall 6 and said side walls suitable securing elements and top wall are provided with flanges l which are bent into contact withl a vertically disposed plate 8 which forms a part of the vertical portion 2 of the burner. The flanges 1 of the side Walls 5 and the top wall 6 referred to are secured by 9 to said vertical plate 8', and at its upper end the vertical plate 8 is provided with an outwardly and downwardly inclined extension I0.

VSupported by and partially within the rear portion of the horizontal portion I of the burner is Y a combustion chamber II. whichV is formed from suitable refractory material, said combustion chamber having a top wall I2, opposed side walls I3 and` a bottom wall I4 which is located at the rear of the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber I I is provided with a forward open'- ing I5 of substantial dimensions located between the top wall I2 and the base plate 3, and between the opposed side walls of the combustion chama point approximately midway of Ylocation of the flange 3' ber, and communicating with this opening is a rear passageway I6, forming an arch, which is formed between the inclined lower face I2 of the top `wall of the face of the bottom wall I4, and between the opposed side walls of the combustion chamber. The `opposed side walls 5 of the horizontal portion 2 of the burner are provided with inclined edges 5' which extend rearwardly and downwardly from 'the length of said Vhorizontal portion at the top thereof -to the of the base plate 3, and the rear portions4 of said sidewalls 5 are connected to an inverted U-shaped member I'I which embraces said flange 3 of said base plate 3.

Disposed in theopening I5 of the combustion chamber II, and suitably secured in place there- I .of the burner includes l' combustion chamber and the top l in, is an oil pan I8 which in longitudinal section is shaped as shown in Fig. 4; that is to say the oil pan I8 includes a relatively deep portion I8a to which a forward inclined wall I8b and a rear inclined wall I8c lead. The oil pan I8 is provided also with opposed side walls I8d as shown in Fig. 3. Leading to the oil pan I8 from a tank I9, or other source of oil supply is an oil supply pipe-20, said oil supply pipe having associated therewith a regulating valve structure 2I which is fixed to the vertical plate 8, and having a gap 22 formed therein so that the attendant may see r the oil as it falls through the gap from the por tion of the supply pipe above the gap to the funnel 23 below the gap. The oil pan I8 is provided also with an oil overflow pipe 24 which leads from a forward extension 25 of the oil pan (Fig. 3) so that any excess oil which may be fed to the burner and not consumed in combustion may be conducted away from the burner to a safe distance from the flames thereof.

Supported with the relatively deep portion I8a of the oil pan is a plurality of absorbent wafers 26 which are formed preferably of refractory re brick material. This material absorbs oil by capillary attraction and combustion takes place at the rear surfaces of the wafers. The wafers 26 are spaced from each other by a set of conductor bars 2`I which provide small air gaps between adjacent wafers, said conductor bars extending Yfrom the front wall of the relatively deep portion I8a of the oil pan I8 rearwardly of the oll pan and upwardly at points beyond the rear edges of the wafer as' shown to the best advantage in Fig. 4. Associated with the bottom wall I4 of the combustion chamber II is a plate 28 which in vertical section is shaped as shown in Fig. 4; that is to say the lower portion 28a is interposed between the lower face of said bottom wall I4 and the base plate 3, and a forwardvertical portion 28h extends parallel with respect to the forward face of the bottom wall I4 of the combustion chamber in spaced relation with respect thereto to provide a space 29. Also the lower portion of the plate 28 is provided with an upstanding fiange 28e at its rear end which contacts with a portion of the rear face of the bottom wall I4 of the combustion chamber II, and the forward vertical portion 28h of said plate 28 is provided with a rearwardly extended horizontal portion 28d at itsupper end which overhangs the top face of the bottom,wa1l of the combustion chamber in spaced relation with respect thereto. The forward vertical portion 28D of the plate 28 is provided with a plurality of openings 30 one of which is shown in Fig. 4.

Secured to the forward face of the vertical plate 8 of the burner, and extended outwardly therefrom, is a pair of spaced apart sheet metal members 3I which in horizontal section are approximately U-shaped, said members being rendered sufficiently rigid through the use of braces 32 which are secured to said vertical plate 8 and to the forward portions of said members. The lower ends of the members 3| are spaced upwardly from the base plate 3 and the upper ends of said members are spaced downwardly from the outwardly and downwardly extended portion I0 of the vertical plate 8. The left-hand member 3I illustrated in Fig. 3 has hingedly secured thereto a cover plate 33 which is, adapted to close the front portion of the burner as shown in Fig. 4, said cover plate being provided with a sight opening 34 through which an attendant may view passage of oil across the gap 22 in the oil supply the attendant mayview operation oi' the burner.

` Additionally the vertical plate 8 `is provided with a` sight opening llwhich coincides with thelsight opening. e i o l `Inorder to secure the `burner in place with respecttoafDutchloven, `a`-pair of vertical pins 3T is employedfsaid" pins being extended through Aapertures formed through the upperportion Ill of the vertical plate 8 fandfthroughthe plate l 'as shown in Fig. 3;Ai The burneris securedin` place in association with a" Dutch oven byldriving the pins `3l into thegroundl Alsothe pins `lll are aided in` holding the burner in place bytie wires` 38 (Fig; llwhich are attached totheupper portions of the pins and tofasteningelements 39 associated with `tlriefrorit wall of the tobacco curingbarnA. l Y e In the operation'of the improvedburner oil is fed from the oil container I9 throughthe oil,`

supply pipe Illto theoil pan "I8 of the burner. f As already stated herein fthe refractory fire brick e material of which the wafers`26 areformed abpan and the forward vertical portion 2lb of the y the wafers andfis partly burned above the oilV pan. Secondary air enters the burner in the lower portion thereof, movingbeneath the oil pan I8, and saidsecondary air; passes upwardly through the space 40 between the rear portion of the oil plate 28. This secondary air, so directed, is applied substantialiyata right angle to the direction of ow of the primary air and oil vapor moving rearwardly of the burner and results in creation of sufficient turbulenceto mix the second` ary air and oilvapor thoroughly and promote complete combustioni` From the point where` l turbulence is createdl by the vertically moving,

body of secondary air theproducts of combustion are led through the refractory arch which is maintained at aglowingheat and thereby helps `tofburn oif soot thatmight beigenerated by ini complete combustion; Some of the secondary air passes through the openings 3B in the forward portion 28h of the platef28 and moves through the space 29 and along the top face of the bottomiwall I4 of thecombustion chamber Il.

from a Dutch oven of atobacco curing barn, as` all that need be done to install the burner is to insert itin` place, drive the pins 31 into the `ground and attach the tie wires 3l. The

burner may be'removed froma Dutch oven` with e equal facility by merely` detaching the` tie wiresv 3B and withdrawing the pins 31.

Iclaim'y, l f 1. An oil burner including an oil pan to which oil is fed from aisourceof supply, a plurality of upstanding elements Supported by said pan and formed of materialcharacterized bythe ability to absorb oil by capillary attraction, a plurality i of heat conducting members disposed between: adjacent elements and of less height than` said` elements to provide lairfgaps between the ele- ,e e 2,187,220 pipe zo, and sight openings as through whichV mentsthrough which primary air passes, por- `tionsof said conductingrmembers` being located insaid oil pan and in thepathof the fiames "of"the. burnerwherebyfheat is conducted1by said "conducting members to theoil in y the `;oil pan so astolvaporize said oil; and aV passageway for secondaryair which'directswsaid secondary by :so astocreate turbulence which thoroughly cornminglesl the secondary air and the oil vapors. i i 2; `Anioil burnerinciuding an oil pan to which `oil isfed from a source of i, supply, a plurality of upstanding elements supported by said panand `formed of material characterized by the ability to absorb oil by `capillary attraction; a plurality `off=heat`conducting members` disposed between adjacent elements and oflessheight `than said 4elements to provideairV gaps `between the ele` i the Dutch oven, a combustion chamber sup ported by and forming a unitary part of the burner portion which is adapted for disposition Within theDutch oven, and oil burning means within said combustion chamber, said oil burn`- ing means comprising "an oil pan tol which oil is -fed from a source of oil supply,` a plurality of upstanding elements supportedby said panand formed of material characterized by the ability e to absorb oil by capillary attraction, a plurality of heat `conducting members disposed between adjacentelements and of less height than said elements to provide air gaps between the elements through which primary air passes, portions oi said conducting members being located in said oil pan and in the path `of the flames of the burner whereby heatV is conducted by said conducting members to the oil in the oil pan so` as to vaporize said oil, anda passageway "for e secondary air which directs said secondary air From the foregoing it is plain that a simple and efficiently operating oil burneris provided which may befquickiy installed `in or removedV atan angleto the direction of flow of the primary air and the vaporized oil carried thereby `air at Aanglewto the .directionuof flow of `,the j primary air andfthewvaporizedoil carried therei `tions of `saidconductingmembers being located i "in said oil pan and in thepath ofthe flames *of' the burner whereby `heat is-conducted by said conducting members tothe oil` inY the oil pan so as to J vaporize said `oil,r and a `passageso as `to create turbulence which thoroughlyi Y commingles the secondary air and the oil vapors.

4. An oil burner adapted for use with a Dutch oven having an opening, comprising a portion which is adaptedto be disposed at the opening of the Dutch oven so as to close said opening, `arid a'portion which is Yadapted to extend into the Dutch oven,a'structure formed of refrac-` tory material supported by and forming a uni- `tary part of the burner portion which is adapted for disposition within the Dutch oven", said refractory structure providing a combustion chamberend an arch, and oil` burning means disstandingelements supportedby said panfand formed-of materialA characterized by theability to absorb oil byY capillaryrattractioma plurality of heat conducting members disposed Vbetween adjacent elements and of lessheight Vthan said elements to provide air gaps between the ele- Y ments through whichprimary air passes,A por- V-tions of said conducting members being located Y Y ifi-said ou pan and in the path of the names of the burnery whereby heat is conducted by said conducting members tothe oil in the oil pan `so as toV vaporize said oil, and a passageway for secondary air which directs said secondary air at an angle to the direction of Yow of the primary airand the Vvaporized oil carried thereby so as to create turbulence which thoroughly comy mingles the secondary air andthe oil vapors.

5. .An oil burneradapted-foruse with a Dutch oven having an opening,` comprising a portion which is adapted to be disposed at the opening of the Dutch oven so as to close said opening, and a portion which is adapted to extend into the Dutchroven, a structure formed of refractory material. supported by and forming a unitary part o'f the burnerportion which is adapted for disi position withinthe Dutch oven, said refractory structure providing a combustion chamber and Y an arch, and oil burning means disposed within the .combustion chamber provided by said refractory structure, said oil burning means comprising an oil pan to which oil is f ed from a source of oil supply, a plurality of upstanding elements supported by said pan and formed of -material characterized by the ability to absorb oil by capillary attraction, a plurality of heat conducting members disposed between adjacent elements and of less height than said elements to provide air gaps between the elements through which primary air passes, portions of said conducting members being located in said oil pan .and in the path of the names of .the burner whereby heat is conducted by said conducting members to the oil in the oil pan so as to vaporize said oil,\a main passageway for secondary airy which directs .said secondary air at an angle to the direction of flow of the lprimary air and the vaporizedaoil carried thereby s o-as to create :turbulence which thoroughly commingles the secondary air and the oil vapors, and an apertured plate spaced from a portion of said refractory structure to provide an auxiliary passageway forV secondary air between said plate and said 35 portion ofbsaid refractory structure.l

EDWIN 'I". BRACE. 

